Concealed holster

ABSTRACT

A concealed holster for a weapon, characterized by a holster pocket typically mounted on the belt of a user for receiving a weapon such as the barrel of a pistol, a typically resilient grip receiver extending upwardly from the holster pocket for receiving and concealing the pistol grip and action in recessed configuration and a resilient or pivotal auxiliary case attached to the grip receiver for containing or simulating containment of a cellular telephone, radio or the like, wherein the holster pocket is designed to fit inside the slacks or pants of the user, with the auxiliary case and grip receiver extending above the belt, to facilitate quick access to the concealed pistol by forcing the grip receiver away from the pistol grip and action as the auxiliary case is pivoted outwardly, grasping the pistol grip and drawing the pistol from the holster pocket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference prior filed copending U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/466,277, Filed Apr. 30, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A concealed holster for a weapon such as a pistol, characterized by a downwardly-extending holster pocket of selected material, size and shape for typically mounting on a belt and receiving the barrel of the pistol, and a preferably resilient grip receiver extending upwardly from the holster pocket and having a face recess or inlay for receiving and recessing the grip and action of the pistol. An auxiliary case is attached to the grip receiver for simulating or actually carrying a radio, cellular telephone, pager, compact disc player or the like. The holster pocket is designed to fit between the lower torso clothing, such as slacks or pants, and the leg, abdomen or side of the user, with the grip receiver and auxiliary case projecting above the belt. This facilitates concealing the holster pocket inside the pants or slacks and the pistol inside the holster pocket and the grip receiver, while revealing only the auxiliary case, ostensibly as a carrier for the cellular telephone or the like. The pistol is accessed by forcing the grip receiver outwardly with the bendable or yieldable auxiliary case to clear the pistol grip and action from the recessed face inlay in the grip receiver and allow rapid withdrawal of the pistol from the grip receiver and the holster pocket by the user. Other weapons such as knives, “stun guns” and the like can be hidden in a concealed holster designed to receive such weapons according to the teachings of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SUMMARY

[0003] The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of a concealed holster for concealing a pistol, wherein:

[0004]FIG. 1 is an outside perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the concealed holster of this invention mounted on the belt of a user by means of a belt clip;

[0005]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a typical belt clip attached to the holster pocket of the concealed holster and the belt, as illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0006]FIG. 3 is an inside perspective view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 1, more particularly illustrating a preferred design of the grip receiver, showing the pistol grip and action recessed in a face inlay provided in the typically resilient grip receiver face, to facilitate rapid access to the pistol by a user;

[0007]FIG. 4 is a top view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3;

[0008]FIG. 5 is a front view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4;

[0009]FIG. 6 is an inside view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0010]FIG. 7 is an outside view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-7, with the holster pocket concealed between the slacks or pants of a user and the user's body, with the auxiliary case exposed and the hand of the user reaching for the concealed pistol;

[0012]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 8, more particularly illustrating the user gripping the pistol as the grip receiver and the auxiliary case are pivoted outwardly in concert by the user's hand;

[0013]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 9, more particularly illustrating further withdrawal of the pistol from the concealed holster responsive to pivoting of the grip receiver and auxiliary case away from the user's body; and

[0014]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the concealed holster illustrated in FIG. 10, more particularly illustrating complete withdrawal of the pistol from the concealed holster.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-7 of the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the concealed holster of this invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. The concealed holster 1 is designed to conceal a pistol and is typically constructed of leather, plastic or other resilient material and includes a downwardly-extending, shaped holster pocket 2, typically having a pocket break 2 a in the rear surface, or pocket back 6. The holster pocket 2 is further characterized by pocket sides 3, joined by a pocket front 4 and the pocket back 6 and terminating at a pocket bottom 5, as illustrated. A grip receiver 7 extends from the top of the holster pocket 2 and may be constructed in one piece with the holster pocket 2 or connected to the holster pocket 2 by glue, brads or other fasteners, as desired. The grip receiver 7 is further characterized by grip receiver sides 8, which are typically substantially coterminous with the pocket front 4 and the pocket back 6, respectively, of the holster pocket 2 and the grip receiver 7 includes a downwardly-tapered grip receiver top 9 that spans the top of the grip receiver sides 8, as further illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. A typically resilient grip receiver face 10 is provided in the inside face of the grip receiver 7 and is bounded by the grip receiver sides 8 and the grip receiver top 9, as further illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. A face inlay 11 is provided in the grip receiver face 10 and is shaped to receive the pistol grip 27 and action 28 of an automatic pistol 26, as further illustrated in FIG. 3. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the pistol grip 27 and the action 28 of the pistol 26 are recessed in the face inlay 11 of the resilient, typically expanded foam grip receiver face 10, when the concealed holster 1 is positioned in functional configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, for the purpose hereinafter described.

[0016] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5-8 of the drawings a pivot, tilt or hinge line 12 is defined by the resilient (typically leather or plastic) case bottom 16 of an auxiliary case 13 and the top edge of the belt 20. The auxiliary case 13 is attached to the grip receiver 7 by glue, brads or other fasteners, and may also be similarly attached to the holster pocket 2, to facilitate pivoting, bending and/or tilting of the case bottom 16 of the auxiliary case 13 and the grip receiver 7 in concert along the hinge line 12 at the belt 20, upon reaching for and grasping the pistol 26, as hereinafter further described. The auxiliary case 13 is further typically defined by case sides 14, a case front 15 and a case flap 17 that extends over the top of the auxiliary case 13 to define a flap hinge and is typically releasably attached to the case front 15 by means of a flap closure 18, such as a snap or the like.

[0017] As further illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the holster pocket 2 of the concealed holster 1 is attached to the belt 20 by means of a belt clip 21, having spaced-apart belt legs 22 that extend from a pocket mount 24, mounted by any suitable means on the pocket side 3 of the holster pocket 2, across the top and downwardly across the outside face of the belt 20. The belt clip 21 is further characterized by a pocket leg 23 that also extends from the pocket mount 24 on the holster pocket 2 and projects around the bottom of the belt 20 and upwardly between the belt legs 22, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, to removably mount the concealed holster 1 on the belt 20.

[0018] In operation and referring now to FIGS. 3 and 8-11 of the drawings, in FIG. 8 the concealed holster 1 is illustrated in mounted position on the belt 20 of a user, with the pistol 26 in concealed configuration and the holster pocket 2 extended and concealed between the slacks 25 and the torso of the user, with the auxiliary case 13 and grip receiver 7 protruding above the belt 20. As described above, the holster pocket 2 is typically connected to the belt clip 21 and the belt clip 21, to the belt 20. The user's hand is illustrated in functional configuration moving downwardly as indicated by the arrow, to position the fingers between the grip receiver 7 and the user's side, with the knuckles located adjacent to the grip receiver face 10, illustrated in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIG. 9 the hand is further extended downwardly to project the fingers between the grip receiver 7 and the user's side or torso and force the grip receiver 7 and the auxiliary case 13 in concert outwardly in the direction of the arrow, as the user's hand grasps the pistol grip 27 and the auxiliary case 13 bends, pivots and/or tilts along the hinge line 12 (FIG. 8). This movement facilitates gripping of the pistol grip 27 and removal of the pistol grip 27 and the action 28 from the face inlay 11 of the grip receiver face 10, as the grip receiver 7 and auxiliary case 13 are pivoted or otherwise deflected further outwardly along the hinge line 12, further illustrated in FIG. 8. The user's arm is now ready to move upwardly and draw the pistol 26 from the holster pocket 2 of the concealed holster 1. As illustrated in FIG. 10 of the drawings, the pistol 26 is substantially retrieved from the concealed holster 1, with the barrel 29 extended from the holster pocket 2 and the grip receiver 7 and auxiliary case 13 further pivoted or deflected outwardly above the belt 20, as indicated by the arrow, to facilitate upward movement of the user's arm and allow complete, full and rapid clearance of the pistol 26 from the concealed holster 1. FIG. 11 further illustrates complete removal of the pistol 26 from the concealed holster 1 with the grip receiver 7 and auxiliary case 13 returned to substantially the same configuration illustrated in FIG. 8 on the hinge line 12, as a result of the “memory” in the resilient auxiliary case 13.

[0019] It will be appreciated from a consideration of the drawings and the above description that the concealed holster of this invention is designed for use under circumstances where it is desired to conceal a weapon such as a handgun of any design, the automatic pistol 26 being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes only. It will be further understood, that depending upon the design of the weapon to be concealed, including a knife, “stun gun”, automatic pistol or revolver or other weapon, the holster pocket 2, face inlay 11 and grip receiver 7 can be shaped to accommodate any such weapon, as desired. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings, under circumstances where the concealed holster 1 is positioned in weapon-concealed configuration, only the auxiliary case 13, the grip receiver sides 8 and the grip receiver top 9 are presented in full view of an observer and since the pistol grip 27 and action 28 illustrated in the drawings are recessed in the face inlay 11 of the grip receiver face 10, the pistol grip 27 and action 28 are not visible. The holster pocket 2, containing the barrel 29 of the pistol 26, is also concealed, as it is extended downwardly between the slacks 25 and the torso of a user, to completely conceal the pistol 26 inside the holster pocket 2 and the grip receiver 7. Accordingly, the concealed holster 1 of this invention features three-dimensional concealment of a weapon, with quick access to the weapon, without the necessity of wearing additional concealment devices, including clothing.

[0020] Furthermore, the auxiliary case 13 can be utilized to contain a cellular telephone or a radio, pager, compact disc player or the like (not illustrated) or can remain empty, to simulate such containment, as desired. Moreover, the size and shape of the auxiliary case 13 can be varied as desired, to further enhance concealment of the desired weapon. It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that the holster pocket 2 can be shaped and sized as desired to contain a weapon such as a knife having a blade of selected length, a “stun gun” or a pistol 26 having a desired barrel length and design, for example, a revolver having a longer or shorter barrel than the pistol 26 illustrated in the drawings. The holster pocket 2, grip receiver 7 and/or the auxiliary case 13 can also be typically constructed of leather or other resilient material such as plastic and the like, in non-exclusive particular, according to the weapon size, shape and design and the desires of the manufacturer and the user.

[0021] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above, what is claimed is:
 1. A concealed holster for mounting on a belt of a user wearing lower torso clothing and concealing a pistol, comprising a holster pocket attached to the belt for insertion between the lower torso clothing and the user and receiving the barrel of the pistol; a grip receiver provided on said holster pocket for receiving the grip and action of the pistol; and an auxiliary case positioned adjacent to said grip receiver, said auxiliary case extending above the belt, wherein the grip of the pistol is grasped and the pistol is drawn from said holster pocket responsive to pivoting of said grip receiver and said auxiliary case away from the user.
 2. The concealed holster of claim 1 comprising a grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol.
 3. The concealed holster of claim 1 comprising a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 4. The concealed holster of claim 1 comprising: (a) a grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol; and (b) a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 5. The concealed holster of claim 1 comprising a flap provided on said auxiliary case for accessing the interior of said auxiliary case.
 6. The concealed holster of claim 5 comprising a grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol.
 7. The concealed holster of claim 5 comprising a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 8. The concealed holster of claim 5 comprising: (a) a grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol; and (b) a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 9. A concealed holster for concealing a pistol and mounting on a belt of a user wearing lower torso clothing, comprising a holster pocket of selected shape carried by the belt and disposed between the lower torso clothing and the user for receiving the barrel of the pistol; a grip receiver extending upwardly from the holster pocket above the belt for receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol; and an auxiliary case extending from said grip receiver above the belt, wherein the pistol is drawn from said holster pocket and said grip receiver responsive to tilting of said grip receiver and said auxiliary case above the belt by the user's hand.
 10. The concealed holster of claim 9 comprising a resilient grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a shaped face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol.
 11. The concealed holster of claim 9 comprising a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 12. The concealed holster of claim 9 comprising: (a) a resilient grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a shaped face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol; and (b) a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 13. The concealed holster of claim 9 comprising a flap provided on said auxiliary case for accessing the interior of said auxiliary case.
 14. The concealed holster of claim 13 comprising a resilient grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a shaped face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol.
 15. The concealed holster of claim 13 comprising a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 16. The concealed holster of claim 13 comprising: (a) a resilient grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a shaped face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the grip and action of the pistol; and (b) a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 17. A concealed holster or sheath for mounting on a belt of a user wearing lower torso clothing and concealing a weapon, comprising a holster or sheath pocket attached to the belt for insertion between the lower torso clothing and the user and receiving the lower part of the weapon; a grip receiver provided on said holster pocket for receiving the upper part of the weapon; and an auxiliary case positioned adjacent to said grip receiver and extending above the belt, wherein the upper part of the weapon is grasped and the weapon is drawn from said holster or sheath pocket responsive to pivoting of said grip receiver and said auxiliary case away from the user.
 18. The concealed holster of claim 17 comprising a grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the upper part of the weapon.
 19. The concealed holster of claim 17 comprising a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user.
 20. The concealed holster of claim 17 comprising: (a) a resilient grip receiver face provided in said grip receiver and a shaped face inlay provided in said grip receiver face for removably receiving and concealing the upper part of the weapon; and (b) a clip attached to said holster pocket and the belt for removably securing said concealed holster to the user. 